1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to cash drawers or tills and more specifically to inserts for the same which are intended to safely and securely separate coins, currency, or other memoranda of sales transactions and transfers of cash.
2. State of Prior Art
The only known prior art in this field is a pivoted baffel which was used in some cash drawers or tills to store larger denomination bills on the underside of the baffel while smaller denominations were placed on top of the baffel by the receiving clerk or cashier. The standard cash register bail was utilized in this arrangement to hold down the separate denomination bills and baffel. To place large denomination bills in this arrangement, the cashier lifted both the bail and the pivoted baffel in one simultaneous movement. For smaller denomination bills, the cashier would simply lift the bail and place the bill on top of the baffel or bills thereon resting. The present invention bears no functional or structural similarities to this prior art.
By way of explanation, the standard cash drawer is universally manufactured with five coin trays for pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and half dollars and with four currency trays for one, five, ten, and twenty dollar bills. While various companies may vary somewhat from this format, it is generally true that conventional drawers or tills present these slots for receipts and distribution of cash in most merchantile establishments. When a cashier receives a personal check, a cashiers check, a large denomination bill, such as a fifty or one hundred dollar bill, they must raise the coin tray and place it below the opened drawer or till since a conventional slot does not exist for this item. Additionally, some merchantile establishments, such as laundries and car washes, received transaction memorandums which must also be disposed of in the above described manner. This nonconventional process is undesirable and is expensive because of expended employee time in performing this task. From an effective management of time standpoint, it is wholly unsatisfactory. Yet, such inefficiency has been present in our merchantile system for many years simply because no device has been advanced which could achieve these significant cost reductions in labor and improve employee morale at the same time by abolition of menial tasks and unnecessary steps in the performance of their duties. Further, the significant time savings which could be made by such a device would mean shorter lines and quicker service resulting in greater customer satisfaction.
Recently, the machine vendors' lobby has brought a great deal of pressure upon the United States Congress to enact legislation which would simplify their business operations by the minting of one dollar coins to be used in vending machines. The rapid advance of inflation has severly affected sales from such machines because of the sheer magnitude and weight of coins one must insert in the machine to comprise today's sale price. Virtually no one carries that many coins in their pocket comfortably. The existing silver or Eisenhower dollar coin was unsatisfactory from the machine vendors' standpoint because of the substantial modifications which would be necessary for a vending machine to handle it. Also, the existing coin was unsatisfactory from the consumer standpoint because of the sheer bulk and weight of the coin. For these reasons, the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin was introduced in the United States on July 2, 1979. This new dollar coin is smaller and lighter than its predecessor and resembles the existing quarter in size.
Rather than resolving this problem, however, the new coin has only further complicated matters. The foregoing features of the Susan B. Anthony dollar may only lead to its ultimate demise because of the danger of commingling the dollar coins with the quarter coins. This simple mistake could lead to errors by clerks or cashiers in receiving and dispensing cash. It may also lead to customer complaints regarding overpayment for goods or services. To avoide such erroneous receipts, merchants will most likely take the course of action that they have applied in the past and take the coin out of circulation by placing it within a separate compartment within or below the till. See, The Wall Street Journal, July 19, 1979, at page 1, Column 6, Volume LXIV, No. 13. The coin thus taken from circulation would be returned to the bank by the merchant with his day's receipts. On the other hand, consumers would probably take similar action to remove the coin from circulation by hoarding or simply placing it aside from their normal change. These were the courses of action taken by merchants and consumers with the Eisenhower dollar, the fifty cent piece, and the two dollar bill. The Treasury Department concedes that these forms of currency are virtually white elephants and practically ceased minting them.
Susan B. Anthony dollars may go the same way unless immediate action is taken to improve their general acceptance. From the consumer standpoint, proper precaution and education should lead to their more widespread acceptance. Certainly, vending machine purchases are a way of life today and the coin is needed if vending machine operators will convert their machines to receive and handle this coin. Further, the nonacceptance of the Susan B. Anthony dollar, in addition to lost minting costs, could absolutely frustrate the overall plan of the Treasury Department to modify our existing currency by replacing the one dollar bill as our basic bill with the two dollar bill, by abolishing the fifty cent piece entirely, and replacing the dollar bill and the Eisenhower dollar coin with the Susan B. Anothony dollar coin. If this plan is put into effect, the standard cash drawer or till would hold pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and Susan B. Anthony dollars in the five coin trays and two, five, ten, and twenty dollar bills in its currency trays. This system, however, does not provide for a transition phase in the currency change over or propose any ways to offset labor costs, customer complaints, or erroneous balances which may occur during this period.
Assuming that merchants, consumers, and machine vendors want to cooperate with the Treasury Department and accomplish this currency change over, a method must be derived whereby merchants can receive and continue circulation of coins and currency or other memoranda of transactions with the assurance that errors will not occur. Certainly, one way of accomplishing this task would be for the cash register manufacturers to produce new cash drawers or tills with more compartments. This solution, however, is unacceptable for seveal reasons. First, the sheer number of cash drawers and tills utilized by merchants and others is of such an order of magnitude that the new drawers could not be produced, installed, and placed into operation in a timely fashion. Second, the economy as a whole would suffer dire consequences if owners of cash drawers and tills were required to expend money without government subsidy to accomodate the currency changeover. And thirdly, the manufacture of cash drawers or tills with additional compartments for coins or currency would most certainly mean reduced space of trays for existing currencies. Additionally, clerks or cashiers wold have to learn a different lay out for coins and currency within the new tray. This alone could necessitate substantial loss of manpower and errors in receiving and disbursing cash. Therefore, a more economic and satisfactory transition period for currency change over would be to propose a device which would fit into existing cash drawers or tills without significant size modifications or changes in layout. The present invention accomplishes this very purpose.